The knights of the coconut
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The knights of the coconut |
| Original title | Monty Python and the Holy Grail |
 | |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1975 |
| length | 91 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Terry Gilliam , Terry Jones |
| script | Monty Python |
| production | Mark Forstater, John Goldstone, Michael White |
| music | De Wolfe, Neil Innes and others |
| camera | Terry Bedford |
| cut | John Hackney |
| occupation | |
| |
The Knights of the Coconut (original title Monty Python and the Holy Grail , to German "Monty Python and the Holy Grail") is a feature film from the British comedy group Monty Python from 1975 . The film deals in a satirical way with the legend of King Arthur and the search for the Holy Grail . Other topics are included, such as the French- British relationship or the drifting apart of media reality and reality.
action
England in 932. King Arthur and his servant Patsy travel through Britain to find the finest and most distinguished knights in the country for the round table . On his way, which he covers while riding but without a horse, he is the first to meet Bedevere , whom he accepts as a knight of the round table because of his “cleverness” (he knows how to recognize “ witches ”). This is followed by Sir Lancelot , Sir Galahad and Sir Robin (not quite as brave as Sir Lancelot) and the "gentleman who does not appear in this film".
One day they are commissioned by God to seek the Holy Grail to set a sign in these dark times. Inspired by their divine mission, they set out on a search and come to the fortress of a Frenchman who makes no secret of his opinion about the English. So they move on without having achieved anything and decide to separate first and individually seek the Grail.
Sir Robin, now traveling alone, meets a three-headed giant who wants to kill him, but before he recovers, Sir Robin has secretly fled. Sir Galahad believes to have discovered the Holy Grail in the castle "Dosenschreck", which is only inhabited by women. They try to seduce him, whereupon the willing Galahad is rescued from "great danger" by Lancelot, who suddenly arrives. Arthur rides with Sir Bedevere (still without a horse), and they receive a crucial hint of Providence when they learn from an old man where the Holy Grail might be. On the way to a mysterious cave, they meet the "Knights of Ni" who demand bushes for the passage through the forest. But although Arthur fulfills their wish, they make further demands, which Arthur and Bedevere do not go into again, but confuse the knights, which allows them to move on unobserved.
Lancelot receives a cry for help, which he believes is a sign that should lead him to the Holy Grail. He single-handedly storms the “castle in the swamp” and prevents - while causing some inevitable collateral damage - the arranged wedding of a prince who would prefer to be a singer anyway. As a knight of the round table, he enjoys all honors there, but still has to leave the castle in a hurry.
After all the knights had tried their luck individually to find the Holy Grail, they gradually all meet again and get lost in the icy expanses of "Nadal". Only after a year do they continue their search and surprisingly come closer to the trace of the Grail when they ask the Scottish magician Tim for advice. This leads them to the cave of Caerbannog, in which an inscription by Joseph of Arimathäa is said to be engraved, which would point the way to the Holy Grail. However, the cave is guarded by a bloodthirsty killer rabbit and Sir Gawain , Sir Ector and Sir Bors die in the fight against the little monster , whereupon the knights retire for advice. Since they do not have a bow with them to kill the enemy from a distance, they summon the monk Brother Maynard, who has the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch " in his luggage. King Arthur uses this to destroy the rabbit and can then enter the cave with the knights and brother Maynard.
There you will find the inscription of Joseph of Arimathäa with the note that the Grail is kept in a castle. But suddenly the "black beast of Aaa" appears, a cartoon character who eats Brother Maynard and puts the knights to flight. (Before the beast can do further damage, the animator in the film dies of a heart attack, which is why the scene with the beast ends abruptly.)
On their escape, the knights come to the "Bridge of Death", where the bridge guard asks three questions to be answered correctly in order to cross. First Sir Lancelot manages to answer the simple questions and is allowed to pass; Sir Robin and Sir Galahad, however, fail and are torn into the "ravine of eternal danger". Arthur, in turn, asks the bridge guard a counter question; when the latter cannot answer it, he in turn is torn into the ravine so that Arthur and Bedevere can safely pass the bridge.
Once at the end of the bridge, they cannot find Sir Lancelot in the fog, but King Arthur and Sir Bedevere discover a driverless ferry (an old Viking ship) that takes them to the castle where the Grail is said to be kept. However, this is occupied by the well-known French who refuse to surrender the Grail and insult the English. Arthur then summons a large army that appears out of nowhere. The attack on the castle is stopped, however, when the police show up with cars and arrest the Knights of the Round Table who were present. (Sir Lancelot has already been arrested by the police after crossing the Bridge of Death).
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List of figures
main characters
- King Arthur of Camelot (Graham Chapman): King of the British; the mistress of the lake had raised the scepter from the depths of the water and made him the king chosen by divine providence.
- Sir Bedevere (Terry Jones): known as "the wise", is made Knight of the Round Table by Arthur when he advises the villagers on the witch trial.
- Sir Lancelot (John Cleese): called "the brave", likes to save princesses, but in this adventure a prince before his wedding.
- Sir Robin (Eric Idle): called "the not quite as brave as Sir Lancelot, who almost fought the dragon of Angnor", is always accompanied by a singer.
- Sir Galahad (Michael Palin): called "the pure one".
Minor characters
- Sir Bors (Terry Gilliam): first killed by the vicious rabbit.
- Sir Gawain: also falls in the fight with the rabbit.
- Sir Ector: he too falls victim to the rabbit.
- Patsy (Terry Gilliam): King Arthur's squire hits the coconut halves for Arthur, carries his luggage and accompanies him on all his travels.
- the black knight (John Cleese): does not stand aside for anyone and attacks everyone who wants to cross his bridge in the forest, considers himself invincible, but loses both arms and legs in the fight with Arthur.
- French (Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin)
- Dennis (Michael Palin): a farm laborer.
- God (voice: Graham Chapman): gives Arthur and his knights the task of seeking the Holy Grail; don't like to kneel down before him.
- Zoot (Carol Cleveland) and her wives: Keepers of Antrax Castle, like to have men visiting.
- The knights of the "Ni" (Michael Palin): according to their own statements, the "keepers of the holy words", very often say "Ni" and demand a sacrifice from all travelers.
- The Keeper of the Bridge of Death (Terry Gilliam): appears as an old man in "Scene 24", where he tells the knights about the Bridge of Death; asks three questions to passers-by in front of the bridge, who must answer them correctly in order to pass.
- Tim the Magician (John Cleese): helps the Arthurian Knights find the Holy Grail.
- Brother Maynard (Eric Idle): monk who brings the holy hand grenade of Antioch to the knights.
- A famous historian (John Young): is murdered in the "present" while making a documentary about Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
- His wife (Rita Davies): ultimately identifies Arthur as her husband's murderer.
- Police officers: investigate the murder of the famous historian.
Hierarchy of figures
The main character is King Arthur. The first knight he takes into his retinue is Sir Bedevere, who is closest to the king. The knights split up in search of the Holy Grail and experience their adventures individually. In these scenes, the individual knights act as the main characters. The adventures of Sir Robin, Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad as well as Artus and Bedevere are told. In their search for the Holy Grail, they encounter a large number of different characters, all of which can, however, be characterized as minor characters.
time
The story takes place in England in 932. The place and time are shown at the very beginning. The action is briefly interrupted several times by inserting a "present" (20th century: recognizable by the clothes of the people, the film equipment and the police officers' car). In this “present”, “a famous historian” is slain by a knight with a sword while filming, while he talks about King Arthur and the knights of the Grail. At the end of the film, the "present" police officers intervene in the events of 932 and arrest King Arthur and Bedevere because the historian's wife identifies Arthur as the murderer of her husband. The film does not end with the end of the plot, but simply breaks off with the last sketch, dissolving the cinematic fiction; Cameraman and police etc. enter the medieval scene. The film deals with about the span of a year, which can only be recognized by the fact that, on the journey of the knight to the magician Tim, the change of the four seasons is shown in a trick animation and a voice from the off announces the passing of a year.
Narrative structure
Different levels of narration are used. There is an " authorial narrator's voice" that comments on the event. There are also various inserts that indicate that this is a "film": flaps, the "Book of the Film" or animated comic scenes. Some of the comic scenes show moving initials , that is, large, ornate initial letters like those found in medieval manuscripts. Others provide humorous information about how the film supposedly came about. An example is the scene with the initials painter trying to paint a nice cover picture for Sir Lancelot's adventure and being disturbed by an earthquake.
Main storyline
Arthur, King of Britain, goes in search of brave knights for his round table in this parodic film adaptation of the Arthurian material in 932. When he has his knights together, God gives them the task of finding the Holy Grail. All kinds of adventures are to be endured in this search, whereby the knights are gradually lost until only Arthur and the wise Sir Bedevere remain. During the decisive attack on the French, who supposedly keep the Grail hidden, they are arrested by the police, who see Arthur as the murderer of a famous historian.
Action structure
Compared to the later “ Das Leben des Brian ” (1979), The Knight of the Coconut consists largely of individual, independent skits that are loosely linked to the main plot. The cartoons known from Flying Circus also play a major role here. The motif of search and adventure is characteristic. These adventures, which the knights have to endure on their (unsuccessful) search, can be characterized as a subplot, but mostly offer space for the parodistic or humorous elements, which are of central importance in the film, but are often not constitutive for the plot.
Parodic elements
- Peasants with revolutionary ideas who rummage senselessly in the dirt.
- Others engaging in activities that seem pointless, such as someone striking the water with a club or throwing a cat against a wall over and over again.
- The witch village: The "wise" Sir Bedevere teaches the sensational villagers how to judge a witch "objectively".
- The Black Knight: He puts his life on the line for no reason.
- The relationship between the French and the British: Arthur suspects in the three scenes in which he stands in front of a French castle and is not admitted that the French are hiding the Holy Grail. However, there is never any real fighting, but only verbal battles, discussions about coconuts, insults or absurd attack and defense strategies. The conflict situation alludes to the negative relationship between Anglo-Saxons and (French) Normans after the victory of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
- The Trojan "hare": Arthur and his knights try to take the French castle with a wooden "hare". This Trojan ruse fails because the knights forgot to hide in the rabbit.
- The insertions of a “present”: A famous historian reports on Arthur's strategy in the search for the Grail at a historical site (ruins). Before he can finish, however, a real knight gallops into the scene and kills him. The modern policemen keep penetrating the past in search of the murderer.
- The heroic rescue of the supposed princess in need (who is, however, a prince) from her involuntary wedding.
- The dangerous cave of Caerbannog, in which runic inscriptions reveal the current resting place of the Holy Grail, but which is guarded by a killer rabbit that kills three of the knights.
- The elimination of the killer rabbit by a weapon of the Church, the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch".
- All animated, comic-like inserts that often humorously tell about the making of this film and thus parody the medium of film.
- The guardian of the bridge of death, who asks the passers-by funny questions and is tricked by Arthur.
- The number 3, which Arthur always confuses with the 5.
Anachronisms are used several times as parodic elements:
- Conversation about the coconut Patsy uses to imitate the clatter of hooves: The castle dweller and Arthur argue about how this tropical fruit got to Britain. They know how to calculate airspeed.
- Conversation between Arthur and the rebellious peasants about working classes , economic gaps, class differences, dictatorship, anarcho-syndicalist communes , systemic violence, mandates from the masses, etc.
- Single words: bush discounts, dynamite, cereal, orangutans , capital of Assyria , electrics ...
- shaving cream
- the sound of a chainsaw
- the hand grenade
- Witch burnings did not occur frequently until the late Middle Ages and early modern times . The move to the early Middle Ages is to be classified as an anachronism.
- Although “England 932 AD” is at the beginning of the film, the knights and soldiers wear armor and weapons from the 13th century .
- The classic Arthurian legend takes place around 500 AD, not 932.
Medieval elements
Historical references
In the film, society is hierarchically divided into typically medieval upper and lower classes (king, nobility, villagers, peasants): The king is distinguished by the emblem of the crown and is recognized as ruler by the knights. Further signs of the upper class are: armor, colored clothing, flags, coats of arms, horses (at least invisible) and cleanliness. Lower layers are mostly characterized by "dirt" and tattered clothes. The class differences seem to be known only to Arthur and his knights. Arthur demands obedience from the lower class and insists on his rights as king. However, he has to explain to everyone that he is King of the British and that he deserves respect. The lower people usually do not react to this ( anarchist peasants). The action is dominated by men, women play supporting roles (witch, bride, old woman). The only scene dominated by women is the one in Antrax Castle, where Zoot and 160 women run a kind of medieval brothel. The marriage policy of the Middle Ages is also discussed, which is primarily about connecting with a rich and influential family as profitably as possible through one's children (scene on the “swamp castle”).
Literary references
The film is loosely based on the various stories about King Arthur, the knights of his round table and the search for the Holy Grail. All characters are fictional. The figure of the king cannot be definitively proven historically and the Arthurian legend is based almost exclusively on literary sources with presumably Celtic origins. The element of the "round table" is based on the rhyming chronicle "Roman de Brut" by the poet Wace from around 1155 . From the second half of the 12th century, other Celtic elements such as the Grail saga are linked with the Arthurian saga and new heroes such as Lancelot and Gawain are introduced. The mention that Arthur receives his royal power through a sword from the hands of the mistress of the lake goes back to the version "Post-Vulgate Merlin's Continuation" and is in contrast to the popular version that Arthur pulled the sword out of a stone. The end point of the search for the Grail is the same in many Grail stories: inner unity, union with the divine and ultimate realization of man. This is completely resolved in the film, the knights only act on the command of a ridiculous god.
Other elements of the Arthurian legends that are parodied:
- The search for the Grail as a path with many trials: A hermit often appears in literature (the old man from "Scene 24") who shows the way.
- The Grail as a goblet and in connection with a fertility cult: The goblet appears above “Antrax Castle”, which is inhabited by lustful, stupid women.
- The motive of the question to be asked: Questions about crossing the Bridge of Death, questions about the Grail in the supposed Grail castles of the French ...
- Division of the knights: The Arthurian stories often revolve around only one of the knights, in the film the adventures experienced are parodic in nature.
- The magician Merlin: Appears here as "Tim".
Implementation of the medieval material - general references
the atmosphere
In general, exterior spaces dominate (exterior views of castles and landscapes). The first picture the viewer sees is a landscape penetrated by fog with the torture instrument of the leveling wheel on which a person is braided. The gloomy surroundings and the cruel straightening wheel are elements that play with the audience's imagination of the dark Middle Ages. A dark Middle Ages is not continuously conveyed, because although the landscapes are repeatedly crossed by fog, the weather is often beautiful. The film mainly takes place in summer. It is not necessarily dark in the forest either: In the fight scene with the Black Knight, the sun shines through the trees. Interiors are usually lit with candles or torches. The dim red lighting at the Bridge of Death, which has the purpose of creating a mystical atmosphere together with passing fog, is special.
Symbolism and architecture
The castle typical of the Middle Ages is very present in "The Knights of the Coconut". The clothes and armament of the protagonists correspond to the idea of the Middle Ages: chain mail, coarse linen, sword, helmets, coats of arms, flag. Characteristic of the film is the lack of horses (due to the tight budget). Monty Python decided to imitate riding with a gag (the gag comes from Peter Sellers ' BBC series A Show Called Fred ) and to imitate the trotting of horses by hitting coconut halves ; this is how the German title came about. It is precisely because of this that the horse is characterized as a typical medieval symbol.
- Dirt: Dirt is associated with underclass in this film. The squires have dirty faces, whereas the face of the king and knight is clean. The plague village is sinking in the mud, the anarchist farmers rummage senselessly in the mud, and the villagers are all filthy. When Arthur rides through the plague village, he is recognized as king, solely on the basis of the fact that he is not smeared all over with dirt.
- The long nose of the witch: Witches are often depicted with a long and crooked nose, especially in children's books. The film takes up this element and parodies it by the villagers attaching a carrot to the witch with a rope as a long nose in order to mark her as such.
- The codex stands out strongly as a symbol of the Middle Ages: Decorated and animated initials or books such as the “Book of the Film” appear again and again.
Music and background noise
Various wind instruments, both extradiegetic and diegetic, can often be heard, which together with monotonous monk chants (diegetic), harp sounds (extra diegetic) and drum rolls (extra diegetic) contribute to a medieval mood. In addition, the piece "The Flying Messenger" by Oliver Armstrong appears, and Sir Robin is followed by an annoying singing troubadour with a tambourine. Characteristic of the film is the above-mentioned hoof rattle through coconut halves. The background noises are the clash of swords during fights, whimpering, coughing, children's screams, church bells or screaming poultry - noises which the viewer may consider "medieval".
Scenic implementation
Medieval acting and speaking also come into their own because they are parodied. In the sword fight with the black knight, the medieval brutality, the exaggerated violence caused by the mutilation of the knight is shown in a completely exaggerated manner. Of course, this applies equally to the opening scene with the bike and the scene with the hearse, in which a man who is still alive is to be charged because he will soon be dead anyway. In the scene with the witch, medieval superstitions are very obviously ridiculed. The procession of the monks, who keep hitting themselves on the head with a wooden board (singing “Pie Iesu Domine, dona eis requiem” from Dies irae ), as it were, the parodistic version of the procession scene in Bergman's “ The Seventh Seal, ” also appears to be typically medieval ". Social rules are often not observed in the film. Apparently only his knights know how to deal with the king appropriately. You kneel in front of him (Sir Bedevere), speak to him politely and obey his orders, unlike many representatives of the lower classes. In addition, the presentation of the medieval castle defense etc. a. operated by catapults; in Monty Python, however, live animals serve as projectiles.
Linguistic implementation
In general, British English is spoken in a timeless manner. The French swear incessantly and speak with a strong French accent, which they also comment humorously. They communicate with each other in French. There are Latin chants and Aramaic inscriptions. The knights are usually addressed with "Sir". The problem of the forms of address is addressed directly: Arthur does not know what to call the farmer Denis. The lower classes in the film do not necessarily speak simple everyday language: the anarchist peasants use highly complex terms. The villagers of the witch village, on the other hand, meet the audience's expectations of the medieval village population. They are difficult to understand, have to be instructed by Sir Bedevere, repeat themselves over and over again and shout “Burn them” and “Witch” in chorus.
The German dubbed version differs considerably from the original in many details. Among fans, the German version, unlike that of Life of Brian , is considered a failure because it does not do justice to the work, his humor and the whole idea of the work.
criticism
The lexicon of international films means that the film goes beyond the “pure sketch collection of their first cinema production” ( Monty Python's wonderful world of gravity ), but does not yet achieve the “staging unity of Monty Python's - The Life of Brian ”. It is a film with an "often confused story" that includes "some crazy gags". At Filmstarts.de, Jens Hamp is of the opinion that you “have to have a certain affinity for the predominantly British humor in order to enjoy Arthur's adventures.” Nevertheless, this film is apparently rightly “one of the funnest films any times". The very conditions in which the film was made are “so paradoxical that only the British cult comedians could come up with the idea. Due to acute budget problems, the pythons were unable to rent horses and pay expensive riding lessons. In order to whitewash this deficiency, they unceremoniously revived an old Peter Sellers sketch: The knights' squires hit two coconut halves against each other in order to at least imitate the classic horse pounding, which is additionally 'refined' by the riding step of the comedian. “Moviepilot.de also received invariably positive feedback, as the mixture of the present and the past is so enthusiastic. Likewise the “silly humor”, the “witty social parody” and “dirty anarchism”, which is mixed up with “noble arrogance”. For those who can do something with “the special humor”, this film is a pleasure “that has earned its classic status through and through”.
background
- The film was shot in Scotland, mainly around the castles Doune Castle (in the film: Camelot, parts of the "Swamp Castle", the castle of the French and parts of "Castle Antrax") and Castle Stalker (in the film: Castle of Aaargh).
- Each of the Monty Pythons played several roles (for example Michael Palin had nine roles, some of which were very different), which led to some difficulties when filming, since the respective characters played by a python often stood opposite or next to each other (for example Sir Lancelot and Tim, the magician, both played by John Cleese ).
- The film's sponsors included Led Zeppelin , Pink Floyd , Genesis, and Elton John .
- The film had its German premiere on August 13, 1976.
musical
Monty Python's Spamalot is a musical based on the film The Knights of the Coconut. It also contains some borrowings from other Monty Python films.
Trivia
- A developer of the game Minecraft was inspired by this film about the implementation of the killer rabbit in version 1.8 of the game.
- In the game World of Warcraft , the killer rabbit can be found at the "Dark Moon Fair" as an overpowering opponent in a hidden cave.
- The killer rabbit is a secret opponent in Divinity 2: Ego Draconis . It shows up as soon as you kill a certain number of rabbits.
- The holy hand grenade used in the film is a selectable weapon in the computer game Worms and in Ready Player One .
- One of the tasks in the novel Ready Player One is the faithful replay of the entire film.
- The Bridge Guardian is a random event in Fallout 2 .
See also
Web links
- The Holy Grail in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- And the Holy Grail at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
- And the Holy Grail at Metacritic (English)
- The Knights of the Coconut in the online movie database
- The Knights of the Coconut in the German dubbing index
- Script on textfiles.com (English)
- Sound carrier with the film music
- Comparison of the cut versions in the theatrical version and the extended DVD / VHS version of The Knights of the Coconut at Schnittberichte.com
- Detailed analysis in the podcast late film
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Release for The Knights of the Coconut . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF).
- ↑ The popular Arthurian legend on king-artus.blogspot.com, accessed on January 14, 2011.
- ↑ Article: Artus (Arthur), Artussage, Artusromane In: Lexikon des Mittelalters. No. 1, pp. 1074-1089.
- ↑ a b The Knights of the Coconut in the Lexicon of International Films
- ^ Criticism by the Filmstarts editorial team on filmstarts.de, accessed on November 25, 2013.
- ^ Criticism at Moviepilot on moviepilot.de, accessed on November 25, 2013.